Hydrocarbon combustion fuels tend to leave deposits at various areas of the power systems in which they are employed, which deposits interfere with the flow of fuel-air mixtures, and the efficiency of many engine parts. Additives generally called detergents are used to decrease or remove such deposits. For instance, automotive fuel detergents are used to prevent and remove deposit fouling in both carbureted and port fuel injected engines. Port fuel injectors are generally extremely precise in construction, generally allowing a 0.05 millimeter clearance between the pintle and seat, and in this vicinity deposits have an serious deletorious effect. It is believed that a deposit layer of as little as five microns can cause a 25 percent reduction in fuel flow, and a perceivable loss of drivability occurs at a flow reduction of even 10 percent. Port fuel injector fouling can result in decreased fuel economy, power loss and hesitation, misfiring, rough idling, and poor startability. Carbureted systems are also detrimentally affected by deposits in critical areas such as in the regions of venturi and throttle plate. Deposit formations in carbureted systems also result in operability problems.
A desirable hydrocarbon fuel detergent should be effective for both the functions of precluding or diminishing deposit formation and cleaning up existing deposits. It should provide corrosion protection, inhibiting corrosion in fuel transfer and storage systems and in the engines where the fuel is used. It should be compatible with demulsifiers or fuel dehazers for prevention of fuel haze and harmful emulsions so that the employment of the detergent does not diminish a fuel's ability to shed water. It should be compatible with a wide variety of materials employed in the construction of fuel transfer and storage systems and engine components. In addition, it should be cost efficient. These and other objects of the present invention are discussed in more detail below.